Chapter 390 The Cunning Xie Family
Lin Changning didn't like playing with cunning people, and Li Mingxiu and the others naturally didn't like the feeling of being schemed against either. They didn't say a word the whole way, but their expressions were far from pleasant.
Xie Yongchang, who was leading the way, seemed oblivious to the unpleasant expressions on the three men's faces. With a smile on his face, he led them gently towards a side room in the government office.
"My lord, my clan elder is inside, please..."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and led the three of them inside. Inside, there were two old men with white hair and beards who turned their heads and looked at the three of them with smiles.
Upon seeing the unpleasant expressions on the three people's faces, the two old men stood up from the table and bowed respectfully to them.
"Greetings, Crown Prince."
Li Mingxiu still remembered the mission his father had sent him. He softened his expression, strode forward, and helped the two elderly people up.
"No need for formalities, no need for formalities, you are really too kind to Mingxiu."
The two elderly people smiled and straightened up as Li Mingxiu helped them. One of them invited Li Mingxiu to sit down at the table, while the other invited Lin Changning and Li Mingde to sit down on the other side.
Xie Yongchang brought over the teapot with a rather smug look, poured tea for the group, and then stood quietly to the side.
After the group sat down, the guard outside closed the door tightly and stood guard at the entrance.
Lin Changning and Li Mingxiu couldn't figure out what these people were up to.
Li Mingxiu maintained his refined smile as he looked at the two elders: "Elders, you have led the Xie family on this journey, and it has been truly arduous. On behalf of my father, I welcome the Xie family to Taiyuan."
The two old men looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter.
One of them stroked his gray beard and chuckled, "Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities. We've tricked you, so you must be angry. I apologize to Your Highness first. This matter was the Xie family's fault; they were testing us."
Li Mingxiu waved his hand, still maintaining his refined demeanor: "What's wrong with being cautious? If I were a member of the Xie family, I would also be extremely cautious. There's no need for you two to apologize."
The two old men paused in their laughter, then looked at the three of them again, their smiles fading slightly this time.
"We are very grateful that Your Highness could send the two young masters here. However, the young master is right about one thing: the reason why our Xie family has been able to survive for hundreds of years is because of this vigilance."
As he spoke, one of the old men looked at Li Mingxiu seriously and said, "Although His Majesty can not be considered a tyrant, he is also unlikely to be a wise ruler. My Xie family has survived eight emperors from the previous dynasty to the present day, all thanks to our ability to judge people and read faces."
His Majesty the present and the late Emperor...
At this point, the old man suddenly paused, took a sip of tea, and carefully examined Li Mingxiu's face before continuing, "The ways of Heaven are constant, and the art of destiny is difficult to fathom, but there will always be some revelation of heavenly secrets. My Xie family believes that the King of Chu is a wise ruler..."
Li Mingxiu was shocked for a moment, Lin Changning felt like countless little people were screaming inside her, and Li Mingde's face flashed with shock before he quickly composed himself.
None of the three expected that a member of the Xie family would dare to discuss such a direct topic in front of them.
For a moment, none of the three spoke in response.
The two old men exchanged a glance, stared at the three people in front of them, and chuckled softly with calm expressions.
“The three of you need not be so wary. I was only talking about physiognomy. The secrets of heaven are ever-changing. There is no need for you to be nervous. Now, I believe that all the members of my Xie family have come out. The previous probing was the fault of my Xie family. Since you want to pledge allegiance to a wise ruler, my Xie family will naturally show our sincerity.”
After saying that, an old man glanced at Xie Yongchang beside him and said, "Chang'er, go and get the things."
The young man behind him accepted the order, bowed to the group, and slowly retreated to the back of a side room. After a while, he came out carrying a long wooden box.
Lin Changning and Li Mingxiu looked at the box in Xie Yongchang's hand with some curiosity. One of the old men opened the box and spread it out on the table.
"This is a map that my Xie family has worked on for six generations, perfecting it in real time. The people who dealt with the flood at the end of last year were also from my Xie family. The latest lake and mountain maps are all included in this map, showing how the river has changed course in recent years. I believe Your Highness will definitely find it useful in future military campaigns. I wish to present this map to Your Highness."
As the old man spoke, he stroked his beard. This was a recently refined geomantic map, and this version was a complete map of the entire Xuanwu region.
The Xie family has collected records of every state, province, and even a small town or one or two rivers.
Thinking of this, another old man added, "The map we are presenting now is a map of the entire territory. There are also 620 smaller maps in the boxes we brought this time. These are the sincerity of the Xie family's surrender."
Li Mingxiu carefully examined the terrain on the map. It was somewhat different from the map used by Jun Zhong and the others. It looked more detailed and accurate, and it would indeed be very useful in their hands.
Thinking of this, Li Mingxiu glanced at Lin Changning, then looked at the two old men with some shock. It was no easy feat to achieve what they had done in a month or two. If it was all drawn by the Xie family, it must have taken at least four or five generations.
Only then can this picture be completed; the Xie family truly has a grand vision.
Thinking of this, Li Mingxiu stood up and thanked the two elders: "On behalf of my father, I thank you both."
The two elderly people hurriedly helped Li Mingxiu up: "Your Highness is too kind. We have not yet thanked Your Highness for bringing troops to our aid and rescuing the Xie family. We have only presented a geomantic map, which is not worthy of Your Highness's thanks."
As he spoke, he led Li Mingxiu back to sit down.
One of the elderly men sat down and looked at Lin Changning's face several times. At first, he was just secretly observing her, but in the end, he stared at Lin Changning without any attempt to hide it.
Li Mingxiu realized that the two men had been scrutinizing Lin Changning ever since he sat down, making Lin Changning feel extremely uncomfortable.
She couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, so she slightly turned her body to block the two men's gazes from looking at Lin Changning.
"Two clan elders? Who is this?"
One of the old men glanced at Lin Changning, then looked at Li Mingxiu, who was shielding him, and burst into laughter.
"I haven't yet asked the young master, who this gentleman is?"
Li Mingxiu cupped his hands in greeting and introduced Lin Changning, saying, "Changning is a vice-commander under my father. Is there anything amiss?"
The elder of the Xie family smiled and said, "No wonder. So you are also someone from the Prince's side. I noticed that the people around the young master all have the appearance of great nobility, so I couldn't help but take a few more glances. This young master must be extremely talented in the path of martial arts."
Lin Changning was stunned for a moment, then looked at Li Mingxiu. He had a feeling that there was something strange about the two of them.
Can't you tell she's a woman?
Thinking of this, Lin Changning frowned and looked at the old man opposite her. The old man smiled at her.
"With such a bone structure, he is born a general! In the future, he will be able to anticipate the enemy's moves and be invincible on the battlefield; the same goes for his official career, which will be as smooth as riding a fast horse across the plains, and he will rise to the top without any worries..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
